Hero Bread
36 employees on LinkedIn · 9 known investors
Hero produces low-carb bread and baked goods, including bagels, buns, sliced bread, tortillas, and noodles, sold direct-to-consumer online with subscription options and through retail partners. The company offers rewards programs and ships its products across the market.
Also known as Hero · Hero Bread · Hero Bread™ · Hero Labs, Inc.
Investors · 9
Also in the syndicate · 2
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements$21M disclosed across 1 of 4 rounds · 2023–2024
- $21MSeries BJun 2024 · 5 sources
Cleveland Avenue (lead), Composite Ventures (lead), DNS Capital (lead), GreatPoint Ventures
Source ↗ - Undisclosed amountSeries BMay 2023
444 Capital, Cleveland Avenue, Composite Ventures, DNS Capital, GreatPoint Ventures, The D'Amelio Family Fund, Union Grove Venture Partners
Source ↗
Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Hero Bread, operated by Hero Labs, Inc., is a San Francisco-based food company that develops bread and baked goods formulated with 0-2g net carbs, 0g sugar, fewer calories and more protein and fiber per serving than conventional equivalents. Its catalog spans sliced bread (white and seeded), Hawaiian rolls, burger and hot dog buns, bagels, tortillas and flatbreads, croissants, biscuits, scones, pretzel bites, pizza crust, pasta-style Hero Noodles (penne, elbow macaroni, mini spirals), and a "Provisions" assortment of third-party snacks and seasonings plus branded apparel.
Products are sold direct-to-consumer through hero.co with one-time, subscription and prepaid subscription options, as well as via Amazon.com and Walmart.com. Retail distribution began in late 2022 and expanded nationally, with launches at Sprouts Farmers Market followed by Albertsons (Texas and Louisiana), Tom Thumb, Randall's, Heinen's and Buehler's Fresh Foods. Products are also served at Just Salad and Freebirds World Burrito locations, and the site lists Crisp & Green as a foodservice partner. The company was founded and initially led by Cole Glass; YuChiang Cheng was identified as CEO in 2024.
Founding story
The company was founded by Cole Glass, who served as Founder and CEO and was quoted framing the company's aim as creating bread and baked goods with substantially lower net carbs and sugar than conventional products.
Business model
Hero Bread sells packaged baked goods to consumers directly through its e-commerce site, including recurring subscriptions with free shipping thresholds and prepaid subscription plans, and wholesale into grocery retail chains, online marketplaces (Amazon, Walmart.com) and restaurant chains that use its products in menu items.
Revenue comes from product sales at retail prices such as $23.99 for two loaves of White Bread, $27.99 for two packs of buns, $29.99 for bagels or tortilla multipacks and $99.99 for a quarterly subscription box, sold both one-off and on subscription, alongside wholesale sales through grocery and foodservice channels.
Traction
By May 2023 the company reported 74% of direct-to-consumer purchasers making a repeat purchase since the April 2022 site launch, 87% of more than 6,000 reviews at 5 stars, a 54% retail repeat purchase rate in the first five months on shelf, and expansion from 23 to 2,300 grocery stores across 32 states. Distribution reached 3,500 retailers by the end of Q1 2024, and the company's website cites over 40,000 5-star reviews.
Latest developments
The most recent reported developments are the June 2024 close of a $21 million Series B round co-led by Cleveland Avenue, DNS Capital and Composite Ventures with participation from GreatPoint Ventures, earmarked for national distribution and new product innovation, following expansion to 3,500 retailers at the end of Q1 2024. The company's current site lists an expanded assortment including Hero Noodles pasta shapes, a Crafted Collection, croissants, biscuits and scones, and foodservice availability at Crisp & Green, Just Salad and Freebirds.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Hero Bread positions itself in the "better-for-you" or "better bread" segment; an investor in its 2024 round described the company as well-positioned to extend leadership in that space, citing proven product-market fit and revenue growth. Its Classic White Bread and Classic Burger Buns were reported as #1 Amazon best-sellers in their categories.
The nutritional profile of its products - 0-2g net carbs and 0g sugar with higher protein and fiber than traditional baked goods - combined with a claim of taste parity with conventional bread, is the company's stated point of difference, supported by reported repeat-purchase rates and review volumes.
Technology
Products are reformulated versions of conventional baked goods using resistant wheat starch as a prebiotic fiber, flaxseed, fava bean protein and olive oil to reduce net carbohydrates and sugar while raising fiber and protein content. The company reformulated products with olive oil in early 2024 and maintains a patents page on its website.
Go-to-market
The company launched direct-to-consumer online (Amazon, then hero.co in April 2022) before entering grocery retail in late 2022 and scaling distribution nationally. It supports demand with a points-based rewards program, referral offers, an ambassador program, free-shipping thresholds, a store locator and "request a retailer" tool, restaurant partnerships, and endorsements from athlete and musician investors.
Consumers seeking low-carbohydrate, low-sugar, higher-fiber and higher-protein alternatives to conventional bread and baked goods, reached both at home via e-commerce and grocery aisles and away from home through quick-service restaurant partners.
Geography
Headquartered in San Francisco, with retail distribution across the United States - 2,300 stores in 32 states as of May 2023 and 3,500 retailers by the end of Q1 2024 - including regional chains in Texas and Louisiana, plus nationwide online shipping.
History
Hero Bread launched in 2021, initially selling through Amazon.com, and began direct-to-consumer sales at hero.co in April 2022. It entered grocery retail in late 2022 with 23 stores, then announced a national retail launch into 2,300 stores across 32 states in May 2023 alongside a Series B raise that brought total funding to $47.5 million. In January 2024 it reformulated products with olive oil, launched Hawaiian Rolls in February 2024, reached 3,500 retailers at the end of Q1 2024, and in June 2024 closed a $21 million Series B financing round bringing cumulative funding to $68.5 million. Leadership passed from founder Cole Glass to CEO YuChiang Cheng by 2024.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Competitors · 3
by search overlap
Companies competing with Hero Bread for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Timeline · 8
launches, deals, and filingsRound co-led by Cleveland Avenue, DNS Capital and Composite Ventures with participation from existing investor GreatPoint Ventures; total funding to date reported at $68.5 million. Proceeds earmarked for national distribution and new product innovation.
$21M source ↗
Trade coverage of the June 2024 financing quoted YuChiang Cheng as CEO; founder Cole Glass was named Founder and CEO in the May 2023 announcement.
Distribution expanded from 23 to 2,300 grocery stores in 32 states, beginning with Sprouts Farmers Market and followed by Albertsons in Texas and Louisiana, Tom Thumb, Randall's, Heinen's and Buehler's Fresh Foods.
Hero Bread announced a Series B raise with participation from Cleveland Avenue, DNS Capital, Union Grove Venture Partners, Composite Ventures, GreatPoint Ventures, The D'Amelio Family Fund and 444 Capital, bringing total funding to date to $47.5 million.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Hero Breadhero.co · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Hero Bread do?
- San Francisco-based food company making low-net-carb bread and baked goods sold online and in grocery retail.
- Who are Hero Bread's investors?
- Hero Bread's investors include Cleveland Avenue, FirstMile Ventures, GreatPoint Ventures, HAWKTAIL, Union Grove Venture Partners, Composite Ventures, Dns Capital.
- How much funding has Hero Bread raised?
- Hero Bread has disclosed $21M raised across 1 of its 4 known rounds.